Lowering en bloc consent threshold a 'logical step' for continued urban renewal: Edwin Tong

Singapore's land scarcity makes urban renewal not merely desirable, but imperative, said Minister for Law Edwin Tong on Tuesday (Sept 8). "The consent threshold should reflect the age and circumstances of the development — because older developments are more likely to need renewal," he said at the Second Reading of the Land Titles (Strata)(Amendment) Bill in Parliament. The law minister noted that approximately one in 20 non-landed private residential units are now aged 40 years or older, or about 20,000 dwelling units in close to 250 developments. And this number will continue to grow due to rapid urbanisation that took place here from the 1970s to the 1990s, he said.This, in turn, presents more owners with the issue of whether it remains feasible and sustainable to invest in the maintenance and upkeep of their property, as beyond a certain point, a building begins to require more than routine maintenance, Tong added.